


hurricanes coming all around us

by ShyAudacity



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Evan "Buck" Buckley, Bruises, Buck needs a hug, Caring Eddie Diaz, Coming Out, Crying, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Injury, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Protective Eddie Diaz, Sick Character, idk kind of, other characters are mentioned but they dont actually speak, the lawsuit never happened in this this universe ok bye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22654012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyAudacity/pseuds/ShyAudacity
Summary: He’s just about to knock again- halfway ready to break down the damn door- when Eddie hears shuffling on the other side and he forces himself to take a step back, not wanting to seem overzealous.Buck is leaning heavily on the door frame when he finally comes to the door, looking a little worse for the wear. “What the hell are you doing here?”He ignores the question. Eddie only sees the flush that’s spread across his face and the way that Buck is holding himself like everything hurts. It looks like he’s got the beginning of a bruise at the top of his cheekbone, too. Bobby didn’t say anything about him beinginjured.“You look like hell.”OREddie comes to check on Buck after he doesn't show up for shift.
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 20
Kudos: 1001





	hurricanes coming all around us

**Author's Note:**

> This took me longer to write than I'd like to admit. Please tell me if the tags need to be altered! 
> 
> Unbeta'd and title from Say When by The Fray.

The second he steps into the firehouse Eddie can tell that something is off. It’s not until he’s changing into his uniform though that he finally notices that it’s far too quiet. The house is too still. There’s a certain laugh absent from the air.

Where _the hell_ is Evan Buckley?

It’s not like Buck to miss work, especially not after he _just_ got his job back. Eddie didn’t think that Buck had anything going on that would require him to miss work today, so he can’t imagine where he might be.

Once he’s dressed, Eddie finds Bobby as he comes upstairs. “Hey, Cap,” he says, trying to be casual. “Have you seen Buck? I can’t find him anywhere.”

“He called in. Bosko is coming to fill in for him.” 

“Called in? That’s not like him. Did he say why?”

Bobby shakes his head. “Said that something came up.”

Eddie can’t help but think Bobby’s response is a little too pointed and _vague_ to not be something. He decides not to push it any further, knowing that Bobby won’t give the answer he’s looking for anyway. This is Buck’s business to share. 

After the first call of the day- two-car collision at a busy intersection, minor injuries to both drivers, nothing serious- Hen and Chimney go straight to the kitchen to reheat the breakfast they couldn’t finish before the alarms went off. Eddie, on the other hand, plops down on the couch and pulls out his phone. He looks over his shoulder before typing out a text to Buck.

 _Eddie **:**_ _Hey man. Not like you to miss work. You good?_

He sends the text before he can overthink it too much and pockets his phone when Hen asks if he wants to try out some new video game the station got last week. When noon rolls around and Eddie still hasn’t gotten a response from Buck, Eddie starts to get a little antsy. He can’t tell if he’s being ignored or if Buck is just too busy to look at his phone.

He considers texting Maddie, seeing if she’s heard from him at all today but that feels a bit like he’s toeing the line of overbearing territory, so Eddie decides against it. _If I don’t hear from him by the end of shift I’ll swing by his place and check on him,_ he tells himself. It’s enough to settle his nerves- for now, anyway. 

The rest of the shift is more or less uneventful- two small house fires and one kid who got their hand stuck somewhere it shouldn’t have been. By the end of it, Eddie had managed to put his worries about Buck aside for a minute. It’s not until he goes to call his Abuela to tell her he’s on his way to pick up Christopher that notices Buck _still_ hasn’t responded- hell, he hasn’t even read the text.

There’s a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that he can’t ignore anymore. Sure, it could be nothing, but Eddie knows that he won’t be able to relax if he isn’t sure- if he doesn’t see Buck for himself. 

As he walks out to his truck, Eddie presses his phone between his cheek and his shoulder as he digs around for his keys. It rings twice before someone picks up. “Abuela? It’s Eddie. I know this is last minute, but can Chris hang out with you a little longer? I need to go check on a friend.”

Eddie tries to keep a level head on the drive over to Buck’s place. He keeps going over all the possibilities in his head, trying to think of a good explanation for all of this. Maybe Buck’s leg was bothering him so he decided to sit this shift out. Maybe he caught another blood clot somewhere-

Eddie really, _really_ hopes he doesn’t find Buck lying in a heap covered in his own blood.

Once he gets to the building, Eddie lets himself in. He knows his way to Buck’s apartment like the back of his hand by now. As he rounds the last corner before the door, Eddie rolls his shoulders out a few times, trying to lose some of the tension he’s holding in. He raps on the wooden door three times, then waits. When nothing happens, Eddie knocks again louder this time.

“Buck, c’mon,” he calls. “I know you’re in there.” He’s starting to get anxious, his palms beginning to sweat; what if Buck is in trouble and Eddie can’t get to him? What is he going to tell Christopher? 

He’s just about to knock again- halfway ready to break down the damn door- when Eddie hears shuffling on the other side and he forces himself to take a step back, not wanting to seem overzealous.

Buck is leaning heavily on the door frame when he finally comes to the door, looking a little worse for the wear. “What the hell are you doing here?”

He ignores the question. Eddie only sees the flush that’s spread across his face and the way that Buck is holding himself like everything hurts. It looks like he’s got the beginning of a bruise at the top of his cheekbone, too. Bobby didn’t say anything about him being _injured_.

“You look like hell,” Eddie states, trying to keep his concerned tone under control.

Buck rolls his eyes before walking away, “Nice to see you too.”

Eddie stops the door before it can shut on him, letting himself into the apartment. He watches as Buck drops into the nearest bar stool, propping his head up on his hand. Eddie can’t help but to notice how stiffly Buck is holding himself- there’s a tense line going all the way down his spine. Something is _definitely_ wrong.

“You didn’t have to come over here."

Eddie faces Buck from the other side of the island. “You missed work and then didn’t answer me all day. Did you really think I wouldn’t come over?”

Buck sighs then rubs at his eye, wincing slightly when he presses too closely to his cheek.

Eddie gestures to it with a nod. “What happened to your face?”

Shortly, he says, “Nothing. I slipped.” Buck is trying to skirt around the issue and Eddie doesn’t understand it. He doesn’t miss the way that Buck breathes in suddenly after he shifts his weight, aggravating some injury that Eddie can’t see. He decides to press it a little further.

“In the shower or on the stairs?”

“What?”

“You said you slipped. Was it in the shower or on the staircase?”

Buck blanches. “…Does it matter? It was an accident.”

Eddie looks at him carefully, trying to pinpoint whatever it is that’s going on here. Buck’s eyes are bloodshot around the edges like he’d been tossing and turning all night. He didn’t think Buck was having trouble sleeping.

On a whim, Eddie reaches over to touch Buck’s forehead, and Buck jerks away and then groans when it hurts him. Feeling like he’s onto something, Eddie comes around the side of the island to face him fully, taking Buck’s face in his hands, being careful of his bruise. Buck sighs at the touch but still tries to get away from it. Eddie gets the draw on him, keeping him in place. “You have a fever.”

Sarcastically, Buck replies, “Oh thanks, I hadn’t noticed.” 

He lets his hands drop back to his sides. “Why didn’t you just tell me you weren’t feeling good?”

Buck gets up and moves towards the couch, too tired to take the steps up to his bed, it seems. “Cause you would’ve come over here anyway.”

_Well. He’s not wrong._

Eddie trails after him, watching as Buck plants himself face down into the cushions with an arm covering his face, more than likely aggravating his bruise. He pulls the blanket off the back of the couch, draping it over Buck’s figure. Gently, he picks up Buck’s ankles into his lap and he makes himself comfortable on the couch.

Buck picks up his head, eyes bleary and confused.

“I do this for Christopher when he isn’t feeling good,” Eddie says, pressing his thumbs into Buck’s calf- his bad leg, specifically. “It’s not a fix-all, but it helps with the muscle aches.”

Buck sighs a little when Eddie finds a particularly sore spot. “Can’t argue with you there.” He lets his head drop back onto the cushion and Eddie can’t help but notice a few minutes later when Buck’s breathing evens out, having fallen asleep. Feeling content, Eddie decides to stay; he’d hate to wake Buck up so soon when he obviously needs his rest.

Eddie keeps himself occupied. He plays a game on his phone, one that Christopher is always talking about, but keeps the volume low. He shoots another text to his Abuela, letting her know that he’s still going to be a while, and asks if it’s alright that Christopher spends the night again.

Forty-five minutes later, Buck starts to stir. He looks around, picking his head up just enough to meet Eddie’s eye. “You could’ve gone home,” he mumbles. “Chris probably needs you more than me.”

“Yeah, well, with the luck that you’ve had health-wise this year I figured it was better not to risk you drowning in your own snot.”

“ _Hey_. Most of those weren’t my fault.”

He just smiles to himself. “All the same. I got nowhere else to be… You think you wanna try and eat something?” 

“Not unless you wanna see it make a reappearance.”

Eddie hums quietly. He removes Buck’s legs from his lap just to get Buck a glass of water and find some Tylenol. It feels like forever before he finally finds a bottle of pain reliever in the upstairs bathroom under the sink- it looks like it’s hardly been touched. All the same, Eddie shakes two into his palm then returns to the couch, pulling Buck’s legs into his lap again.

Buck picks up his head when the movement jostles him. He furrows his brows at the pills in Eddie’s hand. “I took some this morning.”

Eddie has to resist the urge to roll his eyes. “It’s four in the afternoon, Buck. Humor me. It’ll only take a second.”

Buck groans but stops trying to fight it. He sits up just enough to toss back the tablets and sip of water; Eddie doesn’t miss the way that he winces with the movement of sitting up. His gaze keeps dropping to the bruise on Buck’s face. It’s grown a purplish tint since Eddie’s been here, a stark contrast to all of his other features.

He keeps thinking about what Buck told him- how insistent he was on sticking to his story of simply slipping. Eddie wasn’t buying it when Buck first told him and he’s not sold on it now. “So. You gonna tell me how you got really that shiner or is this going to turn into a game of twenty questions?” 

Buck grimaces, covering his face again. “ _Eddie_ -.”

“You can tell me you slipped all you want, Buck, I know it’s not true. I’m your friend. Just be honest with me.”

The whole apartment goes silent waiting for Buck to reply. Eddie keeps looking down at Buck, eyes trained on his still face. For a minute he thinks that he pushed too much- maybe he shouldn’t have said anything but then Buck tightens his breath and-

“I got jumped last night.”

Eddie feels his shoulders go tight, hands stilling and going stiff over Buck’s body. He tries to keep his tone steady as asks, “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I was embarrassed. And it was late I didn’t want to make you drive downtown just to come and get my sorry ass.”

“Downtown? Where were you?”

“On twelfth and Madison.”

Eddie furrows his brow. “I don’t know the area- were you at a club or something?”

“No, it-… it was a gay bar,” Buck mumbles.

_That doesn’t make any sense. Why would he be at a gay bar if he’s not- oh. Oh._

Eddie blanches for a minute, his eyes going wide. “Buck-.”

“Please don’t tell anybody,” he says in a rush; his nerves are bleeding through his voice. “I haven’t even talked to Maddie about it yet and-.”

“It’s okay, Buck. I won’t tell anyone. I promise.” Eddie tries his best to be reassuring. He wants to ask questions, but he’s got a feeling that Buck isn’t up for that. “Are you, um- are you hurt anywhere else?” 

“Just my pride.”

Eddie shoots a glare at the side of his head. “What about your leg? Does that hurt at all?”

“No more than usual… my uh, my ribs don’t feel too great, though.”

 _Ah. So that’s why you winced earlier,_ Eddie tells himself. His hands hover at the edge of Buck’s shirt. “Can I?”

Buck meets his eye for a split second, looking borderline humiliated by all of this. He gives Eddie a nod then covers his face again.

Eddie tries to be as gentle as he can. He rolls back the edge of Buck’s white t-shirt, grimacing to himself at the sight of Buck’s ribs. The bruising is an ugly purple color with bursts of broken capillaries adding a red hue around the bottom edge; it’s impossible not to notice the shape of it. The unmistakable outline of somebody’s shoe- the heel of a boot, probably. Some asshole did this to him.

Eddie feels his blood begin to boil just thinking about it.

He presses carefully around the edges; nothing feels broken, but it’s definitely going to hurt for a while. Halfway through, he can’t help but notice how Buck is holding his breath while Eddie is touching him- like he expects it to _hurt_ at some point.

This breaks Eddie’s heart all over again.

“Buck-.”

Buck shakes his head, cutting him off. When his shoulders start to shake and his breathing gets uneven, Eddie doesn’t say anything about it; he knows Buck needs to let this out one way or another. Eddie pulls Buck’s shirt down again- for Buck’s sake as well as his own. He moves his hands to the middle of Buck’s back, rubbing slow circles.

It’s awful watching Buck cry; a part of Eddie’s chest _aches_ with wishing that he could fix all of this somehow. He leans in as much as he can without jostling Buck too much. Quietly, he says, “It’s going to be okay, Buck… nothing like this is ever going to happen again, I promise.” 

Buck doesn’t respond at all but he does seem to breathe a little easier so Eddie counts it as a win. Eventually, Buck falls asleep again and Eddie decides to settle in; the idea of Buck waking up alone makes him feel sick.

With his hand still skimming the back of Buck’s leg, he looks over at Buck’s slack face. He’s thinking of just how much his life has changed since the two of them met- how much _he’s_ changed as a person in the last year alone. Looking back on it, a lot of it has to do with Buck- there’s no denying that.

Though he knows he’s won’t hear him, Eddie still says, “You’re a good man, Evan Buckley,” and it's as sincere as he's ever been. Eddie lets his head tip back against the couch, letting his own tiredness start to take over him as he quietly starts figuring somethings out about himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments/Kudos are both appreciated and encouraged. Have a great day!


End file.
